Call for Volunteers

VOLUNTEERS / INTERNS NEEDED! CNPS has a backlog of tasks that are crucial to several of our program initiatives, but for which we have neither the funding nor the staff time to address. We are therefore reaching out to our supporters whom we know have a wealth of talents to offer! Our most pressing needs include the following:

• CNPS State Office – Our State Office needs administrative assistance! We have a number of organizational tasks that are crucial to our day-to-day functioning for which we are seeking volunteers. These tasks include filing, inventory of merchandise and other items, and some general reorganization. If you enjoy organizing and have an eye for order, please contact Cari Porter ().
• CNPS State Office – CNPS History Project – Position filled.
• Conservation Program – The Conservation Program is seeking a Botanical Research Assistant to conduct literature searches on desert plant species. This research will be used to identify those species requiring consideration during review of several planned large-scale solar project. Assistant must have access to a university library. Contact Greg Suba () if you can assist!
• Education Program – The Education Program needs assistance with collecting, organizing, and possibly adapting existing plant related activities for children, to be used by teachers, homeschoolers, camp leaders, scouting groups, naturalists, environmental centers, and parents. You could do this in our office in Sacramento or at home. We are looking for naturalist types to take our Field Guide Project into the schools and scouting groups of California. We hope to be able to provide training for that in the late winter or spring. Please contact Josie Crawford ().
  
  Interview project: In order to show students and others the range of conservation work possibilities we would like to interview a wide range of career and volunteer botanists and conservationists and ask them what they do in their job or volunteer position. We have a few Flip video cameras (small hand held video recorders) that can be used for the interviews. We are developing a list of people that we would like to video and if you would like to conduct some interviews or if you would like to share what you do on camera, please contact Josie Crawford ().
• Rare Plant Program – The Rare Plant Program is seeking volunteers to search for historical rare plant populations as part of the Rare Plant Treasure Hunt. Many of our state's rare plants have not been documented in over 20 years, and surveys are needed to provide us with up-to-date information on their status. Volunteers will be provided with maps and information to help identify rare plants in the field. A GPS unit and some previous experience in plant identification are required for most projects. Contact Danny Slakey () to get started!
• Vegetation Program – The Vegetation Program is seeking individuals to assist us with mapping vegetation of rare plant communities. Mapping would be conducted in our Program office in downtown Sacramento using available computer equipment and ArcGIS software. We are open to individuals with a range of skills, but some experience with ArcMap 9 is required. This is a great opportunity to develop your skill set while assisting with our desert mapping efforts! Contact Jamie Ratchford () if you would like to find out more.
  
  We are also seeking an individual to assist with a variety of other data related tasks. These include entering vegetation survey data from around the state, researching characteristics of vegetation types, etc. We are looking for a detail-oriented person for these tasks, and this is a great way for someone to gain experience and knowledge of California’s diverse flora. Contact Jamie Ratchford () if you would like to find out more